Bipartisan senators call for action against China’s forced labor transfers of Uyghurs
[Source]
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators are pushing for stronger enforcement measures to prevent China from sidestepping American forced labor restrictions by moving Uyghur workers from Xinjiang to factories across the country.
Further measures needed
In a June 18 letter, Sens. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), John Curtis (R-Utah) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) pressed Christopher Pratt, who heads the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force (FLETF), to strengthen enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFPLA). “It is clear based off of the joint investigation referenced above that further measures are needed to drastically expand the UFPLA Entity List to address these forced labor transfer programs outside Xinjiang and crack down on Communist China’s evasion of U.S. law,” Ricketts said in a statement.
The lawmakers are seeking a July 18 briefing on the task force’s planned response to Beijing’s worker transfer programs and how it will engage with businesses to improve compliance. The current entity list includes 144 organizations linked to forced labor, with 37 additions from January. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has backed the effort, with Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw stating, “The Chinese communist government must be held accountable for its oppression of Uyghur Muslims and other Turkic minorities, and it cannot be allowed to profit off of their crimes.”
Beyond U.S. efforts
Legal and diplomatic pressure against China’s Uyghur policies is building worldwide. Argentina’s highest criminal court approved proceedings for crimes against humanity and genocide charges on June 18, with International Counsel Michael Polak noting, “This brave decision protects the objectivity of the Argentinian legal system and its impartiality in the application of the Argentinian Constitution.” New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon raised human rights concerns in recent meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. New Zealand diplomats traveled to Xinjiang in 2023 and May 2024 seeking information about detained Chinese citizen Mewlan NurMuhammad, whose sister is a New Zealand citizen.
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Meanwhile, Beijing’s regional influence persists, as seen in Thailand’s February deportation of 40 Uyghur Muslims to China after detaining them for over a decade. “We condemn in the strongest possible terms Thailand’s forced return of at least 40 Uyghurs to China, where they lack due process rights and where Uyghurs have faced persecution, forced labor and torture,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in response.
Why this matters
The senators’ letter responds to a recent investigation by The New York Times, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and Der Spiegel that documented widespread government-directed transfer of Uyghurs to factories across China. The investigation identified workers at over 70 facilities in five major industries that supply well-known brands. “For these Uyghurs being forced and dragged out of their homes to go to work, it’s hell,” Rahima Mahmut, executive director of Stop Uyghur Genocide, told the Times.
Beijing’s worker transfer strategy expanded after violent incidents including a 2013 vehicle attack near Tiananmen Square and a 2014 mass stabbing in Kunming that killed 31 people, leading to increased surveillance and control measures. The risks facing relocated Uyghurs were evident in the June 26, 2009 Shaoguan factory incident, where Han Chinese workers reportedly attacked Uyghurs, killing at least two and injuring over 100.
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Since the UFPLA took effect, Customs and Border Protection has reviewed more than 11,000 shipments valued in the billions of dollars under the forced labor prevention measures, demonstrating the policy’s economic impact.
This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices.
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Trending on NextShark: Bipartisan senators call for action against China’s forced labor transfers of Uyghurs
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